The Winter Rose
by ThisSweetMoment
Summary: 1860's. Civil War. Klaus Mikaelson is a soldier in desperate need of food and shelter. What will happen when he knocks on the door of a grieving widow, Caroline Lockwood? And what will happen when some unexpected visitors show up the next day? Only one way to find out! AU/AR.


_A/N: English is not my native language, so I apologize for any grammar mistakes in the story and also, for the poor vocabulary in it. It's harder than you think to write something like this in a language that's not your own, believe me. I just hope you won't hold it against me._

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**_Prologue_**

_"The measure of true love comes down to what you are prepared to give up for it."_

**— Unknown**

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"NO! " Caroline screamed in utter horror as she saw his body crumble to the ground. His head hit the shimmering white surface in a matter of seconds. She ran to him, falling down as she kneeled beside him.

Her face was drained of all color when she looked down on her beloved. He was lying on the cold, frozen ground, gasping for life as the small red circle on his body started spreading. Tears were now welling up in her eyes as she came to grips with the horrible ordeal that took place only moments ago.

Caroline's heart leapt into her throat. She shook her head from side to side in disbelief. _No._ This isn't happening. This cannot be real.

She watched the wounded man helplessly, unaware of what to do as he groaned in pain. She felt a cold shiver of fear run trough her spine. What if —? No. He cannot leave her. He mustn't. Not now, not after everything they have been trough. He cannot leave _them._

The thought of loosing him made her cry incessantly. Tears were now shamelessly running down her face, one after another, forming two small rivers of sorrow on her cheeks.

She lifted his head up gently, her hands slowly beginning to shake as she eased him onto her leg.

She could see the blood spreading down his side, forming a small reddish puddle on the pure, driven snow. This was it. She thought. The one thing she feared, nay, dreaded the most was gradually becoming real. She lived through this exact, horrific nightmare every night for god knows how long. She would always wake up screaming in agony, as if someone was trying to skin her alive.

This cannot be real then, can it? This must be another dream. Another painful, heart throbbing dream, and any minute now, Caroline will wake up in his arms again, safe and sound as he whispers words of comfort in her ear. She waited for that to happen, waited and waited — but the moment never arrived, and deep down inside she knew why. It was because this wasn't a dream. It was real; as real as you and I and the person Caroline loved the most was slipping away from her. Slipping away like sand trough an hourglass.

The reddish puddle of blood was expanding fast. She acted quickly and placed her hand on his abdomen, covering his wound with her quivery fingers. He hissed a little at her touch. She gently applied as much pressure as she could to stop the red fluid of life from leaving his body any further. She closed her eyes to calm down, taking a deep breath before opening them again and meeting his gaze.

He was already looking at her as their eyes locked. His captivating blue eyes were now consumed with pain and grief. He was trying to be brave for her though, but Caroline knew him better than that. She knew he was suffering.

"Why?" her voice finally broke the silence between them as she spoke to him through tears "I would have been fine… why did you do this?"

"I couldn't let them harm you."

A new wave of salty water started pouring down her cheeks as she heard him say those words. He would rather give up his own life than see anything bad happen to her. It dawned on her that his love for her, for _them_ was pure. The smallest smile escaped Caroline's lips, but it was quickly overpowered by the feel of fear and sadness pervading her entire being.

"Please, stay with me," she begged him "I cannot live without you. You cannot —" she stopped, leaving her thoughts unfinished. Saying that word out loud would break her completely. It would shatter her heart into a million pieces and Caroline feared if that happened — she might never recuperate.

He suddenly reached his hand up to touch her face. He placed his palm on her cheek, wiping away her teardrops with the tip of his thumb.

"Please… don't, my love. An angel should never cry." He said with a gentle, attentive tone. His eyes were now misty as well. Caroline gave him a small, broken smile and rubbed into his hand a little. She tried to calm herself down a bit, for him, but the only thing she felt were new tears forming in her eyes. It was like a never ending cycle.

He sluggishly placed his cold, pale hand on top of hers, squeezing her fingers lightly as she felt that warm sensation going trough her body again; just like she did when their hands touched for the very first time. She remembered his feathery caress, the softness of his palm despite the rugged shape. He was so kind to her, even when they were nothing but strangers crossing paths.

All of a sudden Caroline reminisced something.

"Hold on, everything is going to be alright," she said with confidence slowly building up inside her. A glimmer of hope was now present in her eyes as she remembered a vow he made not so long ago.

"Caroline, I —" he said with a shaky, barely audible voice.

"No, not another word. That day is not yet upon us," She quickly replied, already knowing what he was about to say, "You remember your promise, don't you? You told me that I was the only thing worth fighting for in this world, you told me you would go to the moon and back for me... you made a promise to me, Klaus, you promised to be by my side, for better or for worse," she leaned in closer to him, narrowing the space between them. He was staring intensely at her with tormented eyes, letting her know he knew what she was implying.

"You promised me a life together, a family… and I am holding you to your word. Please, don't break it, I beg of you." Her voice cracked at the very end of that sentence. Caroline needed him alive; now more than ever. She knew that was selfish of her but she couldn't bear to loose anyone else in her life, especially not the person that matters most to her.

He never replied, he only stared at her with an apologetic look in his eyes. He was silent, much like everything around them. Not a whisper could be heard anywhere in the distance. She stroked his velvety curls, hoping it would somehow take the pain away. This cannot be the end. It just _can't_ be.

Caroline began squirming in place, looking for anything, or anyone that could help them. The meadow they were in was encompassed by strong, massive trees. Their sparkly, snow-covered branches seamed tall enough to reach the parchment-like sky.

All of heir surroundings morphed into a labyrinth-like forest, making them all the more difficult to spot. If she screamed, right now, at the top of her lungs would anybody hear her? She knew the nearest village was a day's walk from here, but would they make it that far? Every second mattered and she had to come up with a way to get him aid — and fast.

"I love you." he said interrupting her thoughts. Her face stiffened as she realized he was saying goodbye to her.

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_A/N: So what do you think? Continue or not?_

_And I really, REALLY hope you don't mind the poor vocabulary._


End file.
